Digital is a brain drain – and a drain on resources. Print, on the other hand, works. Anyone who still finds this ridiculous today has either not read the Intergraf report “Comparing Print and Digital Media” or simply doesn’t understand it. Because this document is not a comparison of two types of media. It is a firework display of facts against the digital whitewash and a wake-up call for a society that believes digital is inherently sustainable, inclusive and more intelligent. For the online print industry, this report is pure gold – anyone who reads it carefully will find it a must-read.
The green digital myth: debunked
The assumption that digital communication is automatically more environmentally friendly than print has been around for a long time. The Intergraf report destroys this narrative with clear figures. The IT and communications industry is already responsible for up to four percent of global CO₂ emissions – and the trend is rising. Video streaming alone produces more than 300 million tons of CO₂ every year – equivalent to the emissions of an entire country such as Spain. At the same time, the energy consumption of digital technologies is growing by around four percent per year, while global energy intensity is falling.
In contrast, the European print industry causes only around one percent of emissions – and does so with functioning recycling processes that are second to none. More than 73 percent of paper is recycled in Europe. In contrast, less than five percent of electronic waste – from smartphones and tablets to old hard drives – is recycled.
But that’s not all. The report also makes it clear how manipulative so-called life cycle assessments (LCA) can be. Depending on which system boundaries or usage behavior are included, digital solutions can easily be presented as more efficient. The much-cited study on medical package inserts (Dobers et al., 2024) is literally dismantled in the report because it simply excludes crucial rebound effects – such as the private printing of digital information. The message is clear: digital efficiency is regularly compensated for by increased use. Or as the report puts it: “Digitalization wrecks its own potentials.”
Print goes deeper – digital stays on the surface
People who read frequently in digital form read differently – and are learning less effectively. The Intergraf report also proves this with scientific precision. Reading on paper improves concentration, semantic processing and text comprehension. Digital media, on the other hand, encourage superficial scrolling and clicking behavior. The so-called “Shallowing Hypothesis” (“superficiality hypothesis”) shows this: Over time, heavy digital readers lose the ability to engage with longer content in a coherent and critical way, leading to a decline in deeper thinking and reflection.
A clear signal came from Sweden: The government there halted the digitization plan for textbooks after pupils’ reading performance slumped dramatically. At the same time, it invested around 58 million euros in printed books in 2023. Even educational tests such as PISA now favor digital skills such as navigation or source comparison instead of measuring real text comprehension – a methodological mistake, as researchers Adriaan van der Weel and Anne Mangen demonstrated in 2016.
Marketing with impact
In marketing, too, it is clear that print is not a relic but a powerful lever. Printed mailings remain in the field of vision for an average of 108 seconds – digital messages, on the other hand, often only last the blink of an eye. At the same time, print generates 21 percent less cognitive load, which increases the emotional appeal. Brand recognition is up to 75 percent higher with print. Neuro studies even show that print activates the so-called default mode network in the brain – the area in which emotional involvement, memory and decisions are processed.
And while digital advertising disappears immediately, print remains present: on the desk, in your pocket, on the fridge. Used correctly, print offers a “lock-in power” that digital media simply cannot provide. And the best thing is that combining print with digital channels is not a dream of the future – it already works today, from QR codes to personalized landing pages (PURL).
Thinking Digital-Only Means Leaving People Behind
Digital excellence only works if everyone can participate. But that is not exactly the case in Europe. Around 44% of the population do not have basic digital skills – in some regions, the rate is even higher than 70%. Older people, people with a lower level of education and people in rural areas are particularly affected. Furthermore, more than half of the EU member states do not offer comprehensive, barrier-free access to digital administrative services.
At the same time, according to surveys, around three quarters of Europeans would like to be able to choose whether they communicate with authorities, banks or companies in analog or digital form. So replacing print does not replace technology – it excludes people. In a democracy, diversity of communication should not be a luxury. Print is part of this diversity.
What does this mean for the industry?
The Intergraf report is not a pro-print manifesto. It is an analytical counterweight to the promise of digital salvation – and that is precisely what makes it so valuable. Because it provides arguments that go far beyond product benefits. This is a strategic stroke of luck for the online print industry.
Now is the time to tell a new story about print. Not as a relic, but as an intelligently networked communication channel. Not as an either/or to digital, but as a powerful component of a smart media mix. The industry needs to get out of its defensive posture. It has every reason to communicate confidently – with attitude, facts and vision.
My Take: The Intergraf report “Comparing Print and Digital Media” is not just a report. It is a Molotov cocktail against the digital myths of our time. Anyone who believes that sustainability, education or customer loyalty can be automatically improved with even more digitalization is sitting on a cloud of self-delusion. Print is not perfect – but it is honest, effective, democratic and demonstrably indispensable.
The online print industry would be ill-advised to dismiss this document as an endorsement. It should use it as a weapon. Not against digital – but for a realistic, inclusive, efficient and effective media landscape in the 21st century.
It’s time for a stance. Time for impact. Time for print.
